The Psalms of Thanksgiving To YAHWEH
16
O YAHWEH On THY Truth Have I Leaned
Blessed art thou, 0 YAHWEH,
Thou YAHWEH of compassion and mercy,
for Thou hast given me knowledge of Thy truth
and insight to tell forth Thy wonders,
unhushed by day or night.
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For Thy mercy I hope;
in Thy great goodness I trust,
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for on Thy truth I have leaned.
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Except Thou strengthen, there is no standing;
except Thou rebuke, no stumbling;
no affliction but Thou hast foreknown it,
no salvation but by Thy will.
So, for mine own part,
now that I know Thy truth,
now that I look on Thy power,
I too will tell forth Thy wonders;
now that I understand them,
I will wait on Thy mercy
and upon Thine abundant compassion,
and for Thy pardon hope.
For Thou it is did shape my frame,
and Thou it is did determine my being
according to Thy will;
and Thou hast left me not to rely
upon worldly wealth,
or stay myself upon worldly gain.
Thou hast made no creature of flesh
-no army of warriors-
to be my source of strength,
nor made me to rely
on riches of luxury
-of corn and wine and oil.
Yet, that which I possess
and that which I have gotten
is no mean thing withal.
For I am as a tree
green beside streams of water,
bearing fruit, abounding in leaves;
for Thou hast created plants
for the service of man,
and all things that spring from the earth
that he may be fed in abundance.
And to them that acknowledge Thy Truth
Thou hast also given insight
to divine Thy wondrous works
and to tell forth Thy glory
according to their knowledge,
learning each from each.
So hast Thou given abundance
to Thy servant, the son of Thine handmaid,
and hast richly endowed him
with knowledge of Thy truth;
and, to the meed of his knowledge,
he too will rehearse Thy glory.
Thy servant has learned to abhor
all worldly wealth and gain,
and in luxurious riches
his soul has no delight.
Nay, in Thy covenant
does my heart rejoice,
and in Thy truth my soul exults.
I bring my tongue to full flower,
and my heart is exposed to a spring unfailing,
and upon the strength of heaven
I place my reliance.
And I bear not blighted fruit
which withers while still in blossom
ere that it come to flower."
Howbeit, when I hear
how Thou judgest even Thine angels
so mighty in strength,
how that Thou arraignest
even the Holy Host,
my heart is sorely racked,
my loins are all a-quake,
my sighing reaches down
into the nethermost abyss
and penetrates withal
into the chambers of hell.
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For how much more upon man
will Thy sentence go forth?
And will not Thy judgment be wreaked upon all Thy works?
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I am stricken with dismay;
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trouble and grief are not hid from mine eyes
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in the musing of my heart.
" Or, 'before the heat'.
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